When Defense Secretary James Mattis learned he had escaped an assassination attempt while he was a Marine Corps general during the Iraq War, he did something unexpected that showed why he is one of the most beloved and respected members of President Donald Trump’s administration.

He went to talk to the would-be assassin after learning the man could speak English.

According to an Associated Press report, Mattis offered the insurgent a cigarette and coffee, and asked him why he tried to kill him. The man told Mattis he resented American soldiers in his land.

The general told the insurgent he understood the sentiment and then assured him he was headed for the prison in Abu Ghraib.